Bitter Music: Collected Journals, Essays, Introductions, and Librettos

Harry Partch

University of Illinois Press, 2000 - Biography & Autobiography - 487 pages

Now in paper for the first time, Bitter Music is a generous volume of writings by one of the twentieth century's great musical iconoclasts. Rejecting the equal temperament and concert traditions that have dominated western music, Harry Partch adopted the pure intervals of just intonation and devised a 43-tone-to-the-octave scale, which in turn forced him into inventing numerous musical instruments. His compositions realize his ideal of a corporeal music that unites music, dance, and theater.
Winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, Bitter Music includes two journals kept by Partch, one while wandering the West Coast during the Depression and the other while hiking the rugged northern California coastline. It also includes essays and discussions by Partch of his own compositions, as well as librettos and scenarios for six major narrative/dramatic compositions.

Contents

• PART 2: 23
• Patterns of Music 1940: 159
• W B Yeats 1941: 165
• Show Horses in the Concert Ring 1948: 174
• No Barriers 1952: 181
• A Somewhat Spoof 1960: 188
• A QuarterSaw Section of Motivations: 196
• Barstow 1941: 201
• U S HighballA Musical Account of: 208
• Oedipus 1954: 218
• Plectra and Percussion Dances 1953: 228
• A Soul Tormented by Contemporary Music: 239
• Observations on Water Water 1962: 247
• Water WaterAn Intermission with Prologues: 377
• Sources and Notes: 465
• Index: 481

Bibliographic information

• Title: Bitter Music: Collected Journals, Essays, Introductions, and Librettos; Music in American life
• Author: Harry Partch
• Editor: Thomas McGeary
• Contributor: Thomas McGeary
• Edition: illustrated, revised
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press, 2000
• ISBN: 0252069137, 9780252069130
• Length: 487 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Music; Music / General; Music / History & Criticism